The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 2020

Hans nodded respectfully and signaled his men to haul Veronica away.

"Veronica!" Funk's arms were suddenly empty as the guards restrained him. Desperate, he turned pleading eyes to Lottie. "Mrs. Blair, Miss Stella, please! Show mercy and let her go. I swear I'll keep her on a tight leash. I will never let her anywhere near Dr. Gates again."

"I already gave her a chance." Lottie cast a disdainful glance at Veronica, who was still glaring viciously at Stella, completely unrepentant.

"Instead of promising to discipline your daughter now..." Lottie paused, her tone dropping to sub-zero temperatures. "You should reflect on yourself. If you hadn't enabled her, things wouldn't have ended up this way. Stella and I have a very clear rule: we return favors, and we repay grudges in full."

Hearing Lottie's absolute finality, Funk collapsed entirely, forced to watch helplessly as his screaming daughter was dragged out the door.

"Show him out," Samantha ordered, having the guards toss Funk out of the estate. Sparing Veronica's life after what she did to Stella was already merciful enough.

The chaotic drama finally drew to a close.

The grand hall settled back into its usual quiet. Exchanging glances, the elders made up excuses to leave the room, wanting to give the couple space. Soon, only Lottie, Anthony, Stella, Roger, and Kenneth remained.

"Right, well..." Kenneth stood up, rubbing his stiff shoulder with an exaggerated sigh. "My girlfriend is looking for me. Gotta run."

After nodding to Anthony and Lottie, he turned to Stella, who still looked incredibly shaken, and offered a warm smile. "See you later, future sister-in-law."

Stella stared at him, her expression a mess of conflicting emotions.

"You're exhausted, aren't you?" Anthony murmured, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist and leaning close to her ear. "Want to go lie down?"

"Yeah." Lottie glanced at the quiet couple. It was clearly a conversation they needed to have alone. She turned and let Anthony lead her away.

Stella sniffled, but the tears just kept falling, a steady, unbroken stream like a broken faucet.

"Stella..." Roger rarely saw her cry like this, and panic seized him. Clueless on how to soothe her, he reasoned desperately, "Lottie is literally Asclepius. She's a divine doctor. A little nerve damage is nothing for her. And even if it doesn't fully heal, I still have my left hand."

He pulled out a tissue, dabbing softly at her eyes. "One day, I'll show you. I'm just as lethal with a scalpel in my left hand."

Stella kept her head bowed, sobbing quietly.

"Darling..." Utterly helpless, Roger let out a heavy sigh. "I'll go get Lottie right now. You can ask her—"

Before he could finish, the girl suddenly looked up, threw her arms open, and buried herself tightly against his chest.